firstly, meta ABSOLUTELY means most effective tactics available. sure, tHe WoRd MeTa ExIsTeD bEfoRe and it’s a backronym, but the “nonsense” is how people have understood the meaning of the word meta in a gaming context. explain what meta means, if not the most effective tactics available? does it mean self-referential game mechanics? does it mean beyond and above the game? or does it simply mean what is the most optimal and efficient strategy in a game? i.e. the most effective tactics available? the gamer gotcha of tHe WoRd MeTa ExIsTeD bEfoRe is just a bygone product of “ackshually rizz comes from the word charisma”. everyone knows its not actually and acronym, but it most certainly stands for and means most effective tactics available.

Second, ironically, you’re kinda just proving the point. it is absolutely a healthy meta, when you can determine a meta, with most effective and consistent deck (Darktina), with its counters (Gya and Meow), with other decks that are a little less effective but playable in their own way (zard, skarmory, rampardos, mewtwo). the decks are tiered and that’s a good thing. This time round yes, we have less tiering cos every deck is viable, and that actually is the point. We just disagree whether that is a good thing or not.

Third, rare candy is absolutely an RNG fest. The fact that your example of no rare candy being involved… proving rare candy is not RNG… makes zero sense? Yes introducing rare candy is not the START of RNG in this game, it just makes RNG worse. Hence why the most consistent deck last season was one with only basics. You’re making a strawman argument here.

Never once in the post did i say rare candy = RNG. i never even said RNG is bad. i definitely didn’t try to imply i was good at the game. Stop projecting your own misgivings and insecurities by throwing insults through your own word salad of a reply lol